N Gauge Forum

my main line is not flat and the rather sudden uphill adjustment when near to entering the platform on the down line really bugs me. It may just be because I am watching out for it more and have obviously seen hundreds of trains pass over it but it does annoy me!

I made an error - I adjusted the track height by laying it on some plasticard strip into the platform but did not make it a gradual enough adjustment. In hindsight I should have lowered the platform instead! anyway the good news is the trains are at the correct height for the platform at least, which is something the real railways don't always manage!

it causes no problem with running at all. It's purely an aesthetic issue.

Should I dig up the track and make the height adjustment into the platform more gradual? this would be annoying as it would mean wetting and digging up the ballast of maybe 30 cm of down line, adding thin strips of different thickness under the line to make the height adjustment more gradual, re-ballasting, then colour matching the weathering of ballast as far as possible, and possibly re doing some adjacent grass / weeds that may get damaged in the works.

the board does have some sag and there are some ups and downs anyway on the track but the most sudden and visible one that affects the mainline is this one on approach to the station.

when the speedlink train is just about to enter the platform you can see the uphill adjustment in this video.

if anyone has any suggestions or thoughts on this please let me know! I realise that real train lines go up and down too, esp on less well maintained lower speed lines, but it just seems like too steep an adjustment for me.

Hi, I've watched your clip several times on full screen, and although can see a slight dip in the track in the last second of the vid. I am struggling to see it as the train passes over it. I'd leave it be, it looks absolutely fine to me.At the end of the day, it's your layout, and if you're not happy with it, change it.

I think the effect bluedepot is talking about is about 5-10cm before the start of the platform (across from the signal on the other line), if you look at the long wagons you can see them pitch slightly.

Have you pinned the track down @bluedepot (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=114), you could try removing the pins in the area and maybe the track will ease the rise without any other major surgery.

I can see what Tim is referring to but don't think it is a huge issue. Back in the day I used to trainspot at Bletchley when the 25Kv electrics were first out. Firstly you saw the small yellow warning panel in the distance, then the rails began to sing and then they came into full view but they were bouncing up and down like a yo-yo at 90-100mph!!Personally I'd leave things as they are and, if necessary, impose a speed restriction ;)

i was 90% or so siding with digging it up and adjusting the gradient, but i'll leave it a while longer and think about it... i'll ask the next few ppl that see the layout in real life for their opinions too... it could make quite a bit of mess if i did start digging up the ballast... i would have to make the board under the removed track section perfectly smooth and then add thin strips of plasticard to reduce out the grade... then re-attack the section of track, test, re-ballast, then re-weather... sometimes attaching sections of track to adjoining fixed down tracks can be a pain as well...

it's funny that i can overlook the very many other over-scale / under-scale and prototype inaccuracies yet have become obsessive with this one issue lately.... not sure what that says about me, but oh well.

yes i have seen videos where the train is noticeably moving up and down quite a bit but it's often exaggerated on a zoom lens and in reality the height adjustments are more gradual - at least on a main line.

nice idea - a speed restriction will be imposed on the line anyway, i have some speed restriction signs to add... i don't do high speed running anyway, and probably nothing really goes much over a scale 50 mph (not that i have measured scale speed...)

thanks again

tim

ps. vonzack - thanks for idea but not pinned down - just been glued and ballasted...

Itís similar to so many things. Once you know itís there you notice it more and more and it starts to wrankle.However, others (not so closely involved with construction) probably wonít even notice it.Iíd leave it be.

I know the feeling - there are a couple of very slight dips and humps in my layout at board joins, but the track's been down and ballasted for over 20 years now so I'm not about to fiddle with it now! *I* notice them but I doubt anyone else does.

Hiya. I had exactly this on my layout where the thin mdf did not have enough bracing and had sagged badly (10mm!!!!)

I rectified it by adding more bracing underneath afterwards, without moving any track or anything. I cut cross pieces to length accurately, screwed one end in place flush to the surface board, this pushed the other end down due to the sag, I then forced the other end up to line up with the rest of the frame work and it pushed the surface board almost flat.

I have to agree that it is hardly noticeable on your layout but you could possibly cure by pushing up from underneath.

Itís subtle, and you notice it. I donít think I would have if you hadnít pointed it out. Your modelling Standard is excellent but Iíd personally move on and do the other bits unless it is causing running problems. Changing it could well cause another problem now... But itís your layout, your standard and you have to be happy with it at the end of the day. Your choice!